


The Mighty Kings

by shrewbuddy



Series: The Mighty Kings Series [1]
Category: Rooster Teeth/Achievement Hunter RPF
Genre: F/M, M/M, Rated For Violence, king AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-29
Updated: 2014-11-14
Packaged: 2018-02-10 22:12:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 13
Words: 18,100
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2042139
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shrewbuddy/pseuds/shrewbuddy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A crazed native of the Nether challenges the Mighty Kings to a special tournament in this Royal Games where all respawns are off, and the tasks pose true horror and death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prelude to Achievement City

**Author's Note:**

> This work was highly influenced by the art and AU style of Mallius on Tumblr. Please, go check her art blog out! It is absolutely amazing. mallius.tumblr.com

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: Prelude to Achievement City - Together We Map the World (from the How To Train Your Dragon 2 Soundtrack)  
> I do not own the music, however I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

Prelude to Achievement City

            Achievement City: a beautiful kingdom to live in, really. The trees grew and repopulated through the forest with great frequency, and there were mountains that towered over the sparse villages. The Kings’ Village in Achievement City was the liveliest area in all the land. The seal of the Kingdom was bore into the center of the village, and surrounding the seal were the homes of six Kings. The story of each King was told to children throughout the kingdom, in hope that they would gather what gumption was needed to be a King of Achievement City.

            First was the Red King who had the smallest most humble abode. Once a young and undiscovered youth, he ventured from his small village to fight for Achievement City and was deemed worthy as a King after showing his intense warrior-like attitude. Named the Red King, Ray was known for his combat skills and unique battle strategy. He had a simple fascination with roses, which furthered his nickname, and the blood of a thousand men on his sword.

            To follow the Red King was another strong warrior. The Mad King, Ryan came from a rich and noble family living in a village not far from the King’s Village. Ryan was always a deranged man from the beginning, and he was said to hoard together bands of animals as companions in his madness. His most trusted companion, Edgar, was a crossbreed of sorts – a half man, half bull idea adopted from the great Greek myths. It was said that Edgar was kept in the darkest of dungeons under the Mad King’s house to protect Achievement City of the horrors he could cause.

            Next in the line of warrior kings was King Michael, the Righteous. While the Righteous King was in fact noble and lovely, he had a certain evil to him – one that was only evident in the Games. When asked to kill, he would plunge into the fray with sword of diamond ready and blade poised to strike hearts. But while the deaths of so many comrades would weigh on any many, Michael possessed the talent to brush off the nightmarish screams in the dark and maintained a loyal and sane mind.

            Only a fool would seek friendship from this sort, and a fool the next king was. King Gavin, the Golden Fool, ventured from his hometown in the Nether to bear witness to the first ever Royal Games. Never did he believe that the Great King, Allfather to All, would grant him a worthy position amongst the court. Gavin was not a special man, gangly and slim as most people in the Nether were, and some had ventured to say that he would never be King. But oh, did he prove them wrong.

            And finally, before the Allfather, was Knight Jack – the only resident of King’s Village that had never become king. Though, he did show great potential to become king, the Jack of All Trades was the master of second best. Coming from a high and noble family, he sought the crown to please his family, but also to destroy the heart of the Allfather, who was like his equal. With the next Games afoot, Jack would prove himself.

            So, who was the Allfather? He kept solace in his mansion and was only seen during the Royal Games – competing for his crown. Most believe that he regrets his game style for the crown and that he should cancel the games and take back what was rightfully his as the Creator of this beautiful world. For the First King Geoff was not a man, but a God, and he formed worlds with his bare hands, created seas with a flick of his wrist, but could not yet reclaim his title amongst the new string of competitors.

            Of course, the Royal Games could never be cancelled. The tournament was an occasion to be glorified! Whole villages across Achievement City would venture from far off lands to attend the games, to witness their mighty Kings challenge each other for the crown. The most recent games had been one from the Mad King and passed down to King Gavin, and at the newest games, which would take place this autumn, the Kings would compete for towers of gold, and the first to four high would win. The tasks were most deadly, but with the help of magic, the Kings would respawn from their deaths, but not before the excruciating pain of dying, and King Gavin was in the motions to make the nonbelievers pay for the lack of faith in him.

            However, the story does not go that way. This is the story of the competitor who challenged the Kings to their most difficult battle yet  – the story of how the Mighty Kings fell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again:
> 
> This work was highly influenced by the art and AU style of Mallius on Tumblr. Please, go check her art blog out! It is absolutely amazing. 
> 
> mallius.tumblr.com


	2. Duties

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth, a servant in Achievement City, prepares for a day of duties.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: Elizabeth's Theme - Valka's Dragon Sanctuary (from the How To Train Your Dragon 2 Soundtrack)  
> I do not own the music, however I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

Duties

            With the Games afoot, the King’s Village was more lively than usual. Elizabeth awoke from slumber just as day broke upon the beautiful city. Her small cottage provided a breathtaking view of the city’s seal, embedded into the stone courtyard. Early rising servants and night patrol guards were already bustling across the courtyard, baskets of fruit and long lances in hand. The servant was due to check on the kings this morning, and as Elizabeth brushed her hair back against her shoulders, she reiterated the schedule silently.

            The hill where Elizabeth's house rested was behind King Ray’s small cottage, and to the Red King was her first stop. She curtsied to the guards, and they let her pass through the decaying wooden doors. While the outside of Ray’s cottage was humbling, the inside was even more so. Only one floor, which had been rudely patched together with different materials, the small cottage was cozy and warm. Elizabeth enjoyed being in this home, and Ray was often one of her first stops when tending to the Mighty Kings.

            Elizabeth stood high above the door on a step stool, pulling back the curtains of the only window in the room. Across the way in the corner was a slumbering Ray, in front of a giant mural painting. “Good morning, Your Majesty,” the servant said, chipper. She stepped off the stool onto the stone tile to hear shifting from the king’s bed.

            “And a good morning to you, Elizabeth,” the king said as he stretched. His tanned skin gleamed in the light of day coming from the window, hard muscles outlined by the light.

            Elizabeth curtsied in his new awakened presence and approached. “The Allfather has requested a breakfast this morning, in the dawn of the new games. Will you attend?” She gathered the spent candles from the King’s bedside and placed new ones in the holsters.

            “Why, of course.” Ray swung his feet to the ground, feeling the dirt between his toes. “Should I assume your presence as well?”

            “Of course, my King.” Elizabeth turned to face him. His black hair was disheveled, and the inklings of a beard were starting to grow on his young face. She reached to his nightstand and handed him his spectacles which he quickly donned. A yawn spread across his lips as he stretched once more, mischievous magic glistening behind his eyes.

            “What are your duties today, Elizabeth?” the King asked. From the potted rose plant, he picked a flower, and the missing rose grew back instantly. He threaded the rose into the servant's long black hair that matched his own.

            Elizabeth laughed, pushing away his hands gently. “Firstly, I must wake the other kings, and now that I see you are awake, I will call your manservant straight away. Thank you, Your Majesty, for the rose. I will add it to my collection.”

            The King laughed heartily as she walked towards the door. “Implying that you keep my horrible attempts at pining after you, my dear?”

            Elizabeth did not respond as she walked through his door and into the courtyard. Passing by servants greeted the lady good morning, for she was a well-known presence throughout the village. Born and raised in the King’s Village, Elizabeth Allfather's family served the Kings generation after generation even before King Geoff welcomed the idea of new competitors for the crown. Elizabeth's grandmother witnessed the fall of the final Allfather - her own husband - and later the crowning of the First King Geoff. Elizabeth's mother witnessed the knighting of Jack, and the beautiful servant had seen the rebirth of the Games as a young girl. Now she was a young woman, witnessing her sixth tournament.

            After the guards granted permission to enter, Elizabeth walked up the stairs of Sir Jack’s beautiful cottage. Much grander than Ray’s home, Jack’s floors were polished wood and adorned with decoration. The walls hung beautiful paintings of various landscapes throughout Achievement City – commissions by some of the finest artists in land. A large window looked upon a great statue of the knight, and down below was the great chasm which Jack’s home stood high upon.

            She was ready to pull the curtain, but the light was already pouring through the window. Jack was sitting on his bed, donning his boots. “Why, good morning, Miss Elizabeth!” he said with much enthusiasm. “I hope you do not mind, but I figured I would get a head start on today’s activities. No need to call my manservant. I can manage myself.”

            His iron armor shined in the light as he struggled to tighten the straps on his boots. Elizabeth walked the length of the cabin and knelt at his feet. She pulled the straps tight against his feet and jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her hair.

            “I see you've visited Ray this morning,” Jack said, cupping the rose in black hair. “Any more obvious courting like this, and the Allfather might have his head.” A mighty laugh rose from Jack’s belly as Elizabeth stood.

            “Now, Sir Jack,” she said. “There’s hardly any need for that. Besides, servants and royalty are hardly compatible. My family has worked hard to serve King Geoff, and I wouldn't like to be the first to cause trouble.”

            “Well, you’d hardly be the first, and you are hardly a servant,” Jack said, leading the young woman to the door. “You’d best be on your way, my dear. The Mad King awaits your presence.”

            Not much time had passed since Elizabeth had last been in the courtyard, but it seemed to be bustling more as servants woke to do biding. King Ryan’s home stood on the east wall of King Geoff’s mansion. He did not have much to say as she lit the torches and candles in his room. She talked in a soothing voice, like one would talk to a beast to calm it. The Mad King did not fend well in the mornings. As she exited the lamely lit room, she bumped into Ryan’s manservant who carried the king’s clothes for the breakfast.

            Adjusting to the new light did not take long as Elizabeth walked through the doors of King Geoff’s mansion. The orderly chaos in the courtyard was nothing compared to the disorder she came upon in the entry way. Servants with plates stacked high paced through the grand room and up and down stairs. The glorious smell of meat and other cooking bled through the walls of the kitchen downstairs and filled the room with the aroma.

            Standing below the double spiraled staircase was a tall man, green and black armor covering his skin, head to toe. He wore a long and billowing, hooded, silk robe. The white made him stick out in the crowd as he watched over the scrambled chaos. As Elizabeth approached the Allfather, she curtsied low until he laughed and told her to stand.

            “Elizabeth, darling, on occasions such as this, one does not need such formalities,” King Geoff bellowed. He pulled his arm around her, and as they walked through the crowd, it parted. “I take it my invitations have been sent out accordingly.”

            “To all but the Kings Michael and Gavin,” Elizabeth responded, “but as I was preparing King Ryan’s house for the day, I thought I would stop by to help in any way that I could.”

            “Now, my dear, that’s your mother in you.” He led the young woman towards the doors and adjusted the flower in her hair. “On days such as this, I think of her and her death. A good woman she was, and I see so much of her in you. A true friend of mine.”

            Elizabeth smiled, for listening to the King speak so highly of her mother was a charming thing. He had watched over her since birth, and after her death, it took him time to grieve out her memory. 

            “Now!” he exclaimed. “Wake the Fool and the Righteous! A meal fit for kings awaits them!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again:
> 
> This work was highly influenced by the art and AU style of Mallius on Tumblr. Please, go check her art blog out! It is absolutely amazing. 
> 
> mallius.tumblr.com


	3. The Righteous and the Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While attending a feast before the games, an interesting development changes the kings' plans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: The Righteous and the Fool - The Vikings Have Their Tea (from the How To Train Your Dragon soundtrack), The Man in the Skull Robe - Meet Drago (from the How To Train Your Dragon 2 soundtrack)  
> I do not own the music, however I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

The Righteous and the Fool

            Travelling across the courtyard was an easy task as now all the servants had found their way into King Geoff’s mansion to prepare for the breakfast. The flowers were fully bloomed, a telltale sign that Ray had made his rounds among the gardens using his unique talents to blossom the buds that hid. Elizabeth fiddled with the flower in her hair and thought of his kind smile.

            The Righteous and the Fool did not need assistance to wake, for sitting in the front porch of King Michael’s home were two figures, laughs in their throats. The servant bowed to the guards and scurried up the tall steps leading to Michael wooden home. “Now, with all your self-responsibility, the need of a servant must be dwindling,” she said to the pair, crossing my arms. “Perhaps my presence is no longer required, sires?”

            The High King Gavin shrugged playfully as he stood from his chair, a smug grin plastered upon his face.

            King Michael stood as well. “Now, that’s hardly the case!” he shouted with laughter. “Would you look at the state of his armor? Could have been done by a child!”

            Elizabeth laughed as well. “If I may, Sire?”

            He nodded, face red with an indignant expression, as Elizabeth approached him to tighten the straps on his diamond chest plate. His green patterned clothes were silky to touch, and she smoothed them out as he talked.

            “Michael, I am still High King,” he said. “You shouldn’t speak to me like that.”

            “Yes, well, you’ll always be my golden fool,” Michael jested, “…Sire.”

            Gavin smiled, as Elizabeth finished pulling his armor. “King Geoff requests your presence,” she said, walking to dust Michael’s bear skin. “A breakfast before the negotiations of the Games and your departures.”

            Michael started to walk down the steep stairs in front of his home. As we walked through the gate in front, the guards flanked them, either side. Michael had twisted his arm around the servant’s, much like an escort, the fur from his robe tickling her side. Elizabeth smiled and felt the foreign sting of friendship in her heart. These young kings were all she had ever known, for she never ventured far outside of the King’s Village and never planned on it. The few trips she ever made were to the locations of tasks during the games and even so, she stayed by the High King’s side. Perhaps that was why they all enjoyed her presence, because while they had all come from different walks of life, the one constant was young Elizabeth – a lonely servant girl, catering their whims.

            The guards opened the doors to King Geoff’s dwelling and escorted the trio to the dining hall where four kings sat, enjoying hearty steaks and sausage, fresh eggs and fruit, and mostly any food they could want from breakfast.

            “Well, look who’s decided to turn up!” King Geoff exclaimed.

            “Oh, quiet, Geoff,” Michael protested. “A King is rarely late, especially if he travels with the High King himself!”

            Geoff scoffed into his goblet as King Michael took his seat across from Ryan, who was furiously cutting into a steak. They merrily ate and jested, and Elizabeth served them drinks as the goblets went empty. It was nearly midday before the Kings began discussing the Games. Rarely did the Kings have time to converse outside of their day to day activities.

            “And I’m sure that you have your tasks, King Gavin?” King Geoff asked as a servant acquired his plate.

            “Oh, yes,” the High King murmured almost threateningly. “These tasks are designed with only one thought in mind, sire.”

            “And that is?” the Mad King questioned. “Forgive me when I say that your tone could stand to be more threatening. If it’s a blood bath you want, you will have to compete with the last games.”

            “And a blood bath it will be!” King Gavin exclaimed, raising his glass. “Revenge, the gist. I’m sure Sir Jack knows where I come from when I say that your jests and cracks are enough to set one’s mind to…” He paused searching for the right words. “Settle the score, if you will.”

            Jack laughed, understanding the Fool. “A wise strategy, Your Majesty, and might I say an effective one at that.”

            The former kings’ smiles had been all swept from their faces and were now covered with worry. While the kings never had a problem with bloodshed, the pain that came from dying could never be avoided. A stab to the heart was a stab to the heart, and a broken limb was a broken limb. The power of respawn was clever magic to fool with, but the price was always stinging and excruciating.

            “Perhaps, a task will resemble yours King Ryan,” Gavin joked. “What did you name it? “Kill Gavin”?”

            Ryan scowled. “A man who cannot take a jest is hardly a man at all.”

            “To my luck I am not a man. I am a fool.” King Gavin’s face was hard and unamused as he spoke, but the tension was broken by a guard rushing into the dining area, his helmet askew. He slammed the doors behind him and braced his body against them.

            “You’re Majesties! The man,” the guard huffed. “Take shelter! The –”

            The guard was cut off by the doors flying open, and the man sailed over Gavin’s head, crashing into the table. Action was immediately taken, as all the kings drew their swords from the scabbard and poised them to the tall, slender threat that had burst through the door. He was still as the dust cleared around him and his features started to form. He was a young man, no taller than King Gavin, with thick black hair atop his head. He wore a set of leather armor over black and dark grey clothes, and possessed a golden sword that glowed from his belt. He was not holding it, but still seemed like the biggest threat in the room.

            “Lower your weapons, Kings!” the man shouted. “I mean you no harm!”

            Vines grew from the plates of fruit on the dining table and wrapped around the slender man’s arms and ankles. King Ray’s talent for magic had always enchanted the likes of many, and the way the vines held the man tightly, without breaking, left Elizabeth in awe.

            “If you mean no harm, why have the guards tried to warn us?” King Michael asked the floating threat. “Who are you? State your business.”

            Now that the man hung from the air, Elizabeth saw his black robe draped along his shoulders. The embroidery brought chills down her spine. Human skulls decorated the cape. “I come from the Nether seeking a challenge in the Royal Games.”

            King Gavin lowered his sword. “You’re from Dark Achievement City?”

            “Sorry, young man,” King Geoff said. “But the Games are already upon us. We start travel in the morn.”

            Ray tightened the grip of the vines around the man. “Besides, we are not looking for new competitors. We are fine, just the six of us.”

            “Oh, please,” the man jeered. “You all cannot possibly be happy with the endless tournaments searching for the best at the time.”

            “That’s how it has been for nearly a century,” Elizabeth chimed. “Who are you to stop tradition?”

            “You let your servants do the talking for you, King Geoff? By the Gods, Allfather, you are the grand ruler! The once and always King! Do you not believe that you are worthy of the title forever?”

            Geoff seemed to consider the man and lowered his sword. “We are perfectly fine with the method of the Royal Games, are we not, men?”

            Each King nodded in agreement, but the man brushed it off again. “Sires, if I may, allow me to make an offer you cannot refuse. Allow me to compete in the Games, a final Royal Games with no respawns.”

            Each king laughed boisterously, and even the servants chuckled. There was no point in the Royal Games without respawn. The tasks were always deadly, and it never failed that someone would die viciously.

            The man looked annoyed. “Think of it not as no respawns, but as an…elimination clause. Total elimination from the Games to crown the true and absolute ruler, of course. I mean, strong, capable men like you, they do not fear death. Or do they?”

            Michael lowered his sword now.

            “And the respawns will be reset with the use of magic by the winner. That is if you choose to repeat your petty Games.”

            Ryan and Jack lowered their swords, but the man was still suspended by a flurry of vicious vines. Ray scowled at the man. “This is a dangerous game to play,” Ray said. “You all shouldn’t take this lightly.”

            Gavin stood atop his chair, now eye to eye with the man. His feet sprightly left the chair, and he was now suspended in air like the captive. “You are from the Nether?” he asked.

            The man’s slender body and coal black eyes all indicated that he was indeed from the Nether, and seeing no infallible evidence, the man simply nodded. “Your Majesty, you have inspired me, and so many others in Dark Achievement City. For you have left the grimy city and the painfully dark life to live in the Overworld a wonderful and fantastic life. I come simply looking for the same chance that you were given.”

            “With no respawns,” Ray added with a sneer.

            Gavin held out a hand to silence Ray. “I am the High King, and I say that we give this man a chance.” Gavin hesitated on his words. “With his elimination clauses.”

            The room was quiet as Gavin turned to speak to the table. Since childhood Elizabeth had known Gavin, and not a day had come that she thought he looked old until she saw him make this decision. “The Games will be brought in under his terms, his tasks, as he tries to pull the crown from our reign. In this Royal Games, we will show that the Kings of Achievement City are not only the mightiest in all the land, but are not a force to question.” Gavin looked to Ray, menacingly, and the vines dropped the man.

            “What is your name, warrior?” King Gavin asked.

            “My name is Percival, sire, and I look forward to my participation in this coming Games.”

            “Then prepare. We leave at first light.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again:
> 
> This work was highly influenced by the art and AU style of Mallius on Tumblr. Please, go check her art blog out! It is absolutely amazing.
> 
> mallius.tumblr.com


	4. Natives of the Nether

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Elizabeth becomes better acquainted with the new challenger.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: Natives of the Nether - Romantic Flight (from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack)  
> I do not own this music, however I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

Natives of the Nether

            Elizabeth’s duties were to the High King for the rest of the day as he prepared for the Royal Games. After the breakfast, she went to polish his armor, now that he would need it and took his sword and pickaxe to the blacksmith to be sharpened. The rest of the kings prepared as well, for now they were positive of their impending death. While walking to the blacksmith, the young woman bumped into Ryan’s manservant again, who was always hidden behind a tower of things rather too large for him to hold.

            “Elizabeth, I have never seen His Majesty so unsure of himself,” Charles said as the pair walked together to the forge. “With King Gavin in reign, the tasks would seem to prove simple, but now with a wild card in play… I fear for my master’s life.”

            “And I mine,” Elizabeth murmured. “We have much to fear of the unknown, Charles.”

            “If something were to happen to the Kings, what would happen to Achievement City, you reckon?”

            Elizabeth shook her head. “In all the years of my family, not one has seen the fall of the Kings. It is not about to happen this generation, not if I can stop it.”

            Charles laughed. “You and what army, Elizabeth? Your fancy swordplay and sleight of hand magic are nothing compared to a native of the Nether. They’re born of magic.”

            “As long as there is something that I can do, I will always protect and serve the kings. Wouldn’t you?” She stood still in the courtyard as Charles took a few steps without noticing. She could not imagine what he saw. Perhaps a frightened young girl, unsure of what could come to her home and kingdom, or perhaps the look of a determined servant whose services could never be deterred.

            Whatever he saw brought spark to his eyes as he said, “Of course, Elizabeth.”

            After Elizabeth had retrieved Gavin’s sword from the forge and said farewell to Charles, dusk had already fallen and as servants retreated back to their houses, she walked alone among the courtyard, Gavin’s diamond sword, cradled in her arms.

            “What an astonishing sword,” said a voice.

            Percival, like all Nether natives, had a talent for being mischievous and hiding in dark corners. His dark eyes and dark hair glowed in the torchlight of the courtyard as the sun set on the city’s seal. When met with true Nether natives, Elizabeth always basked in their dark beauty. Perhaps that was why Gavin had left the Nether; his blond hair and green eyes hardly seemed the type.

            “Why, yes,” Elizabeth responded. “It is.”

            He reached out for the sword, but she drew back like he was made of fire. In the lowlight, the skulls embroidered on his robe seemed to dance and call out shrieks of terror and cries of help.

            “What an interesting robe,” she rebutted.

            He laughed. “See how they dance? As we creep closer the dead of night, their souls wish to be free. Free from the prison in which I have enslaved them. Old magic, really. You have a keen eye.”

            The servant shuddered. “I do apologize, sir, but I must be returning this sword to the King.”

            He set the path out for her with his hands. “By all means, fair lady, proceed.”

            Elizabeth started to walk towards Gavin’s stone home when she felt a hand on her shoulder. If she hadn’t stopped herself, she would have ran the man through with the diamond sword, but instead, she steadied her breath.

            “I’m sure I will see you at the Games?” Percival asked slyly.

            The young woman shrugged his hand from her shoulder and continued walking to Gavin’s medium stone home, ignoring his rude touch.

            The inside of Gavin’s home was always breathtaking. It seemed that every chance Elizabeth had to be in there, new paintings would don the walls. Glorious landscapes of Achievement City and Dark Achievement City alike plastered every inch of the home. Chests lined the walls and a cluttered desk inhabited the corner by the door. As she turned, Elizabeth saw Gavin already lying in his bed, preparing for a good night’s rest before the Games. Once they started, it was unsure if he would get any rest, for they could not sleep until the task was complete. Some tasks took minutes, others took days.

            She curtsied. “Good evening, Your Majesty. I bring your weapons for tomorrow.” She slid his pickaxe from her back and placed both his sword and the axe on a table across from his bed.

            “Excellent,” he said. “Thank you, Elizabeth. You may be dismissed.”

            She curtsied again. “Thank you, Sire.” She turned to walk out the door, but stopped before leaving. “I speak as your friend, Gavin, when I say that your decision to let Percival control the Games is ill-conceived. The man is nothing but trouble, and it’s risky to even think about not respawning, even as a joke.”

            “Elizabeth…”

            “No, Gavin, please,” she begged. “Listen to me, something is not right here. A man comes the day before the Games to suggest a winner-take-all clause that requires your closest friends to perish, and you accept? Perhaps you are a fool.”

            “How dare you speak to a king in this manner!” Gavin shouted.

            “Or perhaps you are homesick and Percival reminds you of your home, but whatever the case, Gavin, be safe. I beg you, take care.”

            The red from Gavin’s face disappeared, his face softened. “I give you my word. Elizabeth, I apologize if my rash decision has upset you, but these are matters of men, of power. One does not simply back down when their honor is struck.”

            Elizabeth pulled the door open and started to walk out when she felt a hand grab her wrist.

            “As a friend,” Gavin began, “I am sorry if you witness something you would rather not in these proceeding days.”

            She pulled the hand back and whispered, “Then don’t allow anything that would require an apology.”

            As she closed the door to Gavin’s home, she started the journey up the hill to her home. She stopped short when she saw the torchlight still beaming from King Ray’s small window. The servant knocked quietly against the rotting wood, hoping that she wouldn’t be heard.

            “Enter,” he called.

            As she opened the door, she spoke. “I apologize, sir. I saw the torchlight and decided to check if you needed help with anything before you retire.”

            He was sat upon his bed, spectacles still on his face, a book in hand. “I have no requests, except your presence, if you may?”

            Elizabeth nodded. “Of course, Sire. What is troubling you?”

            “I fear for my life, like any mortal man would when faced with imminent danger. I do not understand why Gavin has decided that this elimination clause will be a great addition to the Games.”

            “Well, perhaps it is a game of honor,” she said remembering King Gavin’s words. Elizabeth walked to the cauldron and dipped a washcloth into the warm water. “Percival has besmirched the honor of the Kings of Achievement City. Don’t you feel that it is mandatory to retrieve that?”

            Ray ducked his head to his chest. “Yes, I do, but I don’t want to die. Perhaps that makes me a coward.”

            She sat next to Ray and pressed the washcloth against his brow. “You are not a coward, but human, Ray.”

            He turned to face her, his brown eyes sparkling in the torchlight like magic. “If I only were human.” He reached out and touched her cheek, the rough calluses on his thumbs skimming the soft skin. The rose that had started to wither in Elizabeth’s hair suddenly sprung to life again. “I apologize, Elizabeth, if my advances are unwanted.” He picked the rose from her hair, and it floated back to the bush, attaching itself to a stem.

            “The idea of a servant and King?” Elizabeth scoffed. “Ray, it’s preposterous.”

            “But you are not just a servant,” he said. “You are the descendant of an Allfather, the child of a God. You require more than the life that has been given to you here.”

            “The descendant of an Allfather, and what good does it make me? A young woman who can play with fire? I am not a king, Ray; I have no use for these skills. They are only of use during the Games for monitoring.”

            “Elizabeth, if I don’t return…”

            “Don’t say that,” she interrupted. “Your respawn will turn back on at the conclusion of the Games.”

            “Yes, but if something is to happen to me, just as it would happen to a soldier, you are the only family that I have left. You are the only thing that I have to leave behind. Your roses will wither and die, as will all the flowers here in the courtyard, and I will leave you behind. Something I have never wanted since I’ve lived here and met you.”

            “I will tell you what I told the High King. Don’t let me see anything worth apologizing for.” She gripped the king’s hand in hers tightly, the washcloth growing cold in their hands. As she looked to His Majesty, he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her cheek.

            “Lady Elizabeth,” he whispered. “I will always come to your aid, but I will leave if not welcomed.”

            “I will always welcome you, Your Majesty. You and your pile of roses. If not by your hand, then by your memory.”

            He stood up, leading her towards the door. “Then, I bid you goodnight, my dearest.” He took her hand and kissed it sweetly.

            “And I bid you luck.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again:
> 
> This work was highly influenced by the art and AU style of Mallius on Tumblr. Please, go check her art blog out! It is absolutely amazing.
> 
> mallius.tumblr.com


	5. Let the Games Begin!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Let the games begin!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: Let the Games Begin! - This is Berk (from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack), The First Has Fallen - Where's Hiccup? (from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack)  
> I do not own the music, however I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

Let the Games Begin!

            The morning came quickly, and as tradition spoke, the six, now seven, competitors convened in the center of the seal in the courtyard. The sun was just about to rise, and the Games would officially begin after the sun was completely in the sky and the first task had been announced. Elizabeth stood by the High King as she looked upon the hundreds of faces that surrounded the seal. Many had travel sacks and bags to carry with them on their journey to follow the Royal Games.

            “Good day, noble citizens of Achievement City!” King Geoff boasted. “Welcome to the sixth Royal Games, where your kings’ strength and wits are put to the test, and your new leader is crowned!”

            There was a cacophonous roar from the crowd as King Geoff paused.

            “At our last Games, the crown was passed down from King Ryan to the young King Gavin!” Again the crowd roared. “And now, we present to you a new challenger!”

            Percival approached from behind the tall men. He wore the same dark clothes from the day before, and his dark features shined in the glow of dusk. His leather armor had been replaced with a sturdy iron chest plate and trousers. The robe he donned on his shoulders no longer seemed menacing, for the skulls had stopped moving.

            “Young Percival will be in full control of the tasks for the following days of the Games!” King Gavin shouted. “And we all will compete for the ultimate title with no respawns, the plague of only one life to live.”

            There were shy murmurs from the town of people as they listened to the High King.

            “But while this is still sport,” Michael added, “the losers will be reawakened by the new High King at the beginning of his reign.”

            “As always, you are welcomed to travel with your kings and witness the Games,” Geoff explained. “Young Elizabeth Allfather will guide you forward with us and allow you to see what she is able to see through her monitoring of us. As a reminder, in no way are civilians allowed to assist a king at any moment during the Games, and if you are to do so, you will be charged with treason, and immediately expelled from the kingdom.” Geoff turned amongst the kings. “And the king shall be exiled forevermore.”

            Elizabeth recognized the silence as she had heard it before: the silence of understanding.

            “Percival, announce your first task, and let the games begin.”

            Percival cleared his throat, and there was cold anticipation in the air. “The depths of the Nether are plagued with terrible monsters. The horrible zombie creatures moan and hunt in packs, and while peaceful when unharmed, they will swarm when attacked. The goal of this task is to retrieve one golden ingot from these creatures and return to our designated camp. Those who return will receive a piece of the golden tower.”

            There was a loud cheer from the crowd at the reveal of the challenge. The tasks were already proving to be difficult and deadly. As the mob begun to march down the chasm below Jack’s house to the portal to the Nether, Elizabeth took the time to calm her breath and study each other the competitors.

            Sir Jack wore the same iron plated armor she had seen yesterday which clinked next to her as they walked. He marched with great confidence onward, his boots echoing against the stone. In front of Sir Jack marched King Ryan, his glare menacing and his diamond armor reflecting light from the torches that lid the pathway to Last Man Standing.

            Ray walked along side Elizabeth, a rose blooming from his pocket. One hand rested on his sword, and the other gentle smoothed down the pedals. His face was still worried as he watched Gavin and Percival speak friendly to each other.

            “Don’t look so nervous,” Elizabeth whispered. “The task is simple enough. Collect the gold.”

            “Elizabeth, the zombie pigmen of the Nether are vicious creatures,” Ray murmured. “They don’t just hunt in packs. They overpower anything with numbers, and they can sense when one of their own has been killed. Any creature of magic is dangerous, but a hoard of pigmen is not a situation I would willingly dive into.”

            The large mass stood at the portal as the Allfather summoned fire to ignite it, and as the purple glow engulfed the obsidian, Ray began quietly again. “It is nearly impossible to simply sneak up on a pigman because they are always moving and gathering. They’ve collected enough scrape create swords of their own and will always fight back when threatened.”

            As the group walked through the portal, Dark Achievement City spawned. Lowly mud and stick bungalows surrounded the entrance to the portal. Young children hardly clothed scampered around the dirty ground with grime and soot splashed on their faces. The air smelt of sulfur and the lava that poured from nearby cliffs created an intense heat that cooked Elizabeth’s body inside her own chest plate.

            She looked to King Gavin, whose white smile brought light to the darkness. Originally from the Nether, King Gavin would talk about his home in great enthusiasm. However from what Elizabeth saw the Nether was a place for the poor, where blacksmiths ventured for lava in their backyards and looting and thievery were second nature.

            Percival stopped to ask a man about the pigmen, to which the man said that multiple hoards were spotted just over the cliff by the village. “This will be our camp,” he said. “Set up around here, servant, and show us your all powerful magic.”

            Elizabeth scowled at his tone. The power that she possessed was much like that of her great-grandfather. Friend to King Geoff, Elizabeth’s great-grandfather was the final challenger to compete against King Geoff, and during his stays at the King’s Village, Elizabeth’s family line was created. He was destroyed long before their daughter was born.

            Elizabeth walked to the kings individually, familiarly pressing against the heads. Courtesy of King Geoff, each of the King’s minds were telepathically linked to one another’s during the games so that they could communicate on the battle field. Elizabeth could use her magic to connect to the link and also display what they saw to the crowd. It was a strong magically principle to utilize, but over the years, it had become easier to her. As she connected to their minds, displays of their line of sight appeared to the crowd, and they cheered. The kings cheered with them, and with that, the games begun.

            They took off towards the drop off of a cliff that looked out over more bleak and dark wasteland, battle cry in their throats. Just in front of King Geoff, the inkling of a hoard was closing in, and with a satisfying thud, first brawl had begun. The pigman had heard the hefty cry of the king and had prepared his sword. Geoff pulled away from the pigman, already hearing the shuffled movement of the others in the distance. The diamond from King Geoff’s sword glowed as he run through the first pigman and quickly rummaged through the monsters pockets in search of gold.

            He wrapped his hand around the familiar cold ore. “Ha! Lucky bastard I am!”

            Michael grunted as he dove to avoid the swing of a pigman’s sword. “Don’t tell me you’ve found a piece already.”

            Michael arched his sword around him, slicing the legs from the pigmen around him. Their bodies hit the netherrack with a sickening thud, the rest of the hoard to slowly shuffling towards him. He quickly searched the pockets of the three fallen mobs, but to no avail.

            “I haven’t even reached my hoard yet,” Sir Jack complained.

            “Sounds great!” Ray grunted. “I wish I hadn’t engaged mine at all!”

            Ray muttered a few choice words as he decapitated the closest monster to his left. He felt a tug against his chest plate and fell to his back. A pigman stood over him, sword drawn high above its head. From the first person point of view, it seemed as though King Ray would fail, but as the sword came down towards him, he rolled to his side, hearing the thud of the golden sword stuck in the netherrack. With one swift motion, Ray hacked the monster’s arm from his sword and decapitated him. Ray pulled supplies from the dead body – glow stone, an ore of quartz, and finally, an ingot of gold.

            “Got my piece,” he announced out of breath.

            He started back towards the cliff to see Geoff, Gavin, and Ryan already climbing back. Michael was still rummaging through dead bodies, in search of gold, and Jack was just beginning to approach his hoard.

            “Me too,” Michael called. “It’s all you Jack. Don’t let the new kid beat you.”

            “Patience is a virtue, King Michael,” Jack whispered. “Everyone receives a piece in this challenge.”

            Geoff laughed, slightly winded from climbing. “Everyone who makes it back alive.”

            Jack poised his sword, ready to strike when he heard Ray’s voice. “Jack, behind you!”

            He reacted quickly, parrying the blow of the pigman’s golden sword. The clang of metal attracted the attention of the other monsters, and they all crept towards Jack. He sliced the sword through the pigman’s chest, searching his pockets as the monster hung there, like a stick of meat. Jack pulled the gold from the pigman and murmured, “Gold retrieved.”

            The steps behind Jack were approaching faster, and when he turned, he saw the angry face of a pigman with a golden sword raised high. Jack blocked his blow and dismembered his armed hand, the sword slamming to the dirt, but another mob picked it up and started to engage.

            Ray was still stood watching the scene when he decided to act. He felt a hard hand clang against chest plate, holding him in place. “I never said that alliances could be formed,” Percival said, pushing Ray back. Ray turned. Jack was still being overpowered, and the riled pigmen had sought aid from the surviving hoards around them. Nearly forty monsters crept forward to a now surrounded Jack.

            “But he’ll die if we don’t help him!” Ray said urgently.

            “That’s the point,” Percival countered menacingly.

            Ray looked in horror as a pigman ripped at the back of Jack’s chest plate. They pulled tightly on the armor, dragging him down to the dirt. Ray didn’t need the mind link to hear the knight’s screams. He pushed against Percival’s hand, but the man was stronger than he seemed.

            Jack could feel the skin being ripped by the strong jaw of the monster, but he still clutched the gold in his hands. His iron sword had been thrown away from him, and through his pain, he violently punched, struggling against a battle that was already lost. Around him, the stench of rotten flesh stung his nose, and the bloodcurdling screams he produced burned his throat.

            King Ray counted fourteen seconds before the eerie silence of death washed over the shadow of the canyon, and he heard the soft voice of Elizabeth who announced the deaths during the Games.

            “Sir Jack was slain by a zombie pigman.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again:
> 
> This work was highly influenced by the art and AU style of Mallius on Tumblr. Please, go check her art blog out! It is absolutely amazing.
> 
> mallius.tumblr.com
> 
> This came out a little later than I expected. If you'd like to stay on top of when the chapters will come, follow me on Tumblr at shrewbuddysings.tumblr.com. I use the tag "just in case anyone cares".


	6. Ryan's Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The next task is revealed and the Royal Games returns back to the overland of Achievement City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: Ryan's Run - Focus, Hiccup! (from the How to Train Your Dragon Soundtrack)  
> I don't own the music, however I did listen to it while I wrote the chapter.
> 
> ALSO PLEASE READ: There's a reference to suicidal actions in here. This is a one time thing only. If that makes you uncomfortable, I advise that you read at your own risk. Spoilers in the end notes will reveal what happens.
> 
> Also, I apologize for the formatting. I'm doing everything on Word Online now because my Word subscription expired. ';-;

Ryan's Run

The mud huts of the Nether seemed almost homely to the Red King. The warmth of the torch radiated around him, brightening up the cramped sleeping area. Outside, he heard the idle chatter of the citizens who had followed, preparing for the night ahead of them. It was not often that the orchestrator for the Games  allotted time to rest, but seeing as Percival was also a participant, his views were slightly biased. They waited for dawn to leave back for the overland Achievement City and to the famous Pit where the next task would take place.

Ray shifted in his bed roll, trying to find a comfortable position in the dirt. The thoughts of today's events still swam through the king's mind. There had to have been some way for him to help Jack. It was painful to see someone die with no intent of coming back, and while the idea probably sounded daft to a citizen of Achievement City, the king had become accustom to the idea of immortality. Jack's scream echoed through Ray's skull, making him shiver.

"I miss the days when death was amusing," he murmured.

More so , the thought of Percival's obvious bias haunted him. The High King would never participate in the games to prevent this from happening, but since the rules had been tossed with Percival, he secured the fact that Jack was eliminated from the competition. Was this his idea? To pick off each of the kings with his disregard for alliances?

Ray sat up from his bedroll and donned his spectacles. The people outside had calmed and only few still walked about, securing torches to keep away mobs and kissing children goodnight. The humid air clung Ray's clothes to his chest and even made it difficult to breathe. The nether never lost it's fiery glow even at night, if it even was night, he couldn't tell.

Ryan's manservant, Charles, approached Ray. "Sire, you should probably sleep. You have a long day a head of you."

But he could not sleep. It had been hours since Sir Jack's body was rightfully buried and their night had begun, but as hard as Ray tried, he could not slumber. The thoughts of his friend's death still haunted him. He simply nodded at Charles, thanked him for his concern, and walked away. He hoped that the air would help him clear his thoughts, but the sticky humidity reminded him of the same weight of guilt.

Across a mass of sleeping citizens was the mud hut where Elizabeth slept. Inside, the torches had been extinguished and only soft candles lit up her face. He silently leaned against the hardened dirt and attempted to summon foliage outside her door frame. 

But all he could muster were mushrooms.

The morning proved much better for the kings. They woke and quickly donned armor with the help of each personal manservant. Elizabeth was still tending to Gavin when Percival rudely walked through the door frame. 

"Come now, we haven't got all day," Percival complained as Elizabeth tightened the last strap of King Gavin's chest plate. "Your servants seem to work at their own pace, my lord."

Elizabeth scoffed. "Pardon, but for someone who has lived a poor life, you have a tende ncy to bite one who works for a living."

"Now, Elizabeth, you needn't be rude," Gavin said condescendingly. He pushed his sword into his scabbard and walked through the door frame, Percival under his arm.

Elizabeth caught the Red King just before they approached the portal back to Achievement City. She held the mushrooms out to him. "I see you were troubled."

The king took the mushrooms from her hand and threw them to the ground. "I was, quite. However, you slept, and I didn't want to wake you. Magic as powerful as yours requires rest as well."

Elizabeth frowned as Achievement City flickered in front of them. "I live to serve you, my King," she explained. "Waking me if you need assistance is merely a occupational hazard."

As they walked forward  en  masse towards the Pit, Ray explained his night troubles to the servant - his sorrow for Jack and his weariness towards Percival. Elizabeth agreed with him. Before she could muster the courage to fall asleep, Elizabeth cried into her bedroll, and after seeing and hearing Percival's conversation with Ray, she too had become skeptical of his innocent "boy from the Nether" routine. Elizabeth saw connection King Gavin had made with the challenger, but Percival was nothing like Gavin. Behind his lean body was hardened muscle and behind his dark eyes were lies, Elizabeth only didn't know what they were. The dark man was a shadow in the dark - an enigma that made Elizabeth cringe.

The Pit started to enter their line of sight, and as they continued walking, Percival shouted his next task. "Inside the Pit will be a hoard of ferocious zombies, and on the other side of that hoard is a gold block. Those who retrieve that block will proceed to the next task. Those who cannot..." His voice drifted off. "Well, you understand. And to clarify in light of recent events, one cannot help another in combat , however, you may use any special skills that you deem useful. "

Next to Elizabeth, Ray scowled and murmured a profanity at the jab.

The Pit was a large coliseum type arena where the kings would train. From the obsidian walls, dispensers with monster eggs spewed the mobs at infinite numbers. At the moment, each dispenser contained zombie eggs and as they entered the waiting area below the pit, the putrid smell that emitted from the eggs filled their noses. Elizabeth took a seat among the crowd, as her talents were not needed due to the open seating. 

The task began with Percival . The challenger's run looked quite difficult, gaining much sympathy from the crowd. He had no strategy, which proved to hinder him slightly. When he entered the Pit, the zombies immediately surrounded him, but he showed his true colors to the audience, summoning a ring of fire that pulsed away from him and  burned  the mobs on contact. The crowd oohed  at the magic and cheered loudly. The fire assisted him through the hoard of monsters, and he retrieved his gold with only minor scrapes.

Next was Gavin. It was obviously that the task was biased towards the High King's strength, and  for added flair as he flew high above the heads of the mobs, he would swoop down and behead a few with a flashy smile and a waggle of eyebrow towards the ladies in the stands. The girls behind Elizabeth swooned, to which she simply rolled her eyes.

Elizabeth expected to see Jack next to follow, but Geoff unfortunately took his place. She didn't pay much attention to the  Allfather's  run, thinking of Jack, however she believed that he simply teleported around the mob of zombies. The crowd was always keen to see the magic the kings possessed. It was other wor ldly, but only a product of King Geoff's boredom. Having the tactile upper hand  was not always entertaining.

However, Ray and Ryan's powers did not prove so helpful in this case. Surrounded by obsidian floor and walls, no plants grew in the arena, unless Ray had brought plants inside, and the monsters were no animal the Mad King could control. When Ray entered the arena, Elizabeth held her breath. The new hoard of zombies caught his scent quickly, just like in every other's run, and started to slowly approach him. In what could have possibly been the most intelligent, Ray stormed through the hoard, swinging his sword left and right, slicing through everything that stood in his way. It might have been luck or skill, but the king made it back only missing his helmet.

King Ryan moved forward after the new hoard of zombies had spawned. He took a deep breath traversed through the mass of monsters. He reached his gold block and hunched it over his back, only turning to see a zombie in front of him. The king yelped, dropping his gold block from his shoulders, and slamming it onto his foot. He grima ced, pulling his broken foot from under the gold and started to chop zombies that approached him. He reached for the gold block again, but felt a zombie grab his sword hand.

"Get off me, you undead c retin !" he yelled, pulling his arm free.

As he pulled his arm from the zombie, he reached down to grab the gold. He plowed through the zombies, managing to make it halfway through the hoard before he tripped on his foot. The gold block tumbled across the harden floors, as the king clutched his broken foot. He could hear the screams from the waiting area - his friends warning him - but the Mad King knew defeat was coming when he turned to see the hoard above him. Horrid screams left his mouth as he felt the strong arms of the zombies rip through him.

Elizabeth was stood over the edge of the coliseum, with many others who screamed, "Fight, my King! Fight!"

And while the king still struggled against the zombies'  hold, Elizabeth swore she saw him reach for his sword and pierce his own heart  shortly before the screams stopped, as he didn't want to suffer any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Spoilers:
> 
> This chapter was written with much sadness to show the death of King Ryan as they brave through a hoard of zombies in The Pit to retrieve a gold block for their towers. After his heavy gold block falls on his foot breaking it, King Ryan has trouble reaching the safe zone and trips. The zombies overtake him, but rather than suffer like Jack, he does the unthinkable. Other character development includes Ray and Elizabeth becoming skeptical of Percival's true intentions, Gavin and Percival become closer friends, and the magical talents of each king.
> 
> Once again:
> 
> This work was highly influenced by the art and AU style of Mallius on Tumblr. Please, go check her art blog out! It is absolutely amazing.
> 
> mallius.tumblr.com
> 
> Thank you for the kudos and the reads. :)


	7. A Loose End

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tensions rise between Elizabeth and Percival, especially at the announcement of the new task.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: A Loose End - Should I Know You? (from the How to Train Your Dragon 2 soundtrack)  
> I do not own the music, however I did listen to it while I wrote the chapter.

 

A Loose End

There was no body left to bury after the hoard of zombies cleared, and after a silent memorial for the Mad King was held, the sun began to set on Achievement City. Camps began to blossom as night fell and the dangerous sounds of night began to echo through the forest. Elizabeth laid her bedroll on the ground, starting to set up her own camp when she heard a rustle of tree branches behind her. She turned to find Percival standing against a tree, smug smile draped across his face while the other kings grieved.

Elizabeth scoffed. "And to what do I owe this pleasure?"

The man laughed. "For one so feisty, you cry so loudly," he mocked. "And why wouldn't you? You watch your beloved  kings murdered before your very eyes. Does one have faith now that they are worthy to hold the throne?"

"The mighty kings of Achievement City will always be worthy enough to hold the throne, and as always to protect it from threats like you, sir," Elizabeth countered.

Percival seemed to size her up, staring her up and down like meat. "You seem to have a hearty connection with these kings..." His considering tone sounded ominous, and even more so in the fading light. "And your name is  Allfather . Could you be Geoff's daughter?"

"For the record, no. But secondly, the affairs of my life are nothing of your concern."

Percival shook his head. "Now, Elizabeth. If I am one day to become part of the court, you should humor me with your tragic backstory, shouldn't you? You are the descendent of an  Allfather . Creatures of magic always tend to gravitate towards each other, is that right?"

Elizabeth shuddered. "You are of dark magic, and the kings would never recruit the likes of you."

He laughed. "Oh, darling, they already have. But enough small talk. You are a dutiful servant to the kings, and the next task is in need of servants."

"I monitor the Games," countered Elizabeth. "I do not participate in them. Quite frankly, no one does." Elizabeth started to pull back from the man, as he walked forward. She looked behind herself to spot one of the kings, but they all seemed too distant.

"Not this round, Elizabeth," he teased. "You are a nuisance, a loose end, that I cannot be bothered to fix. Therefore, I will let your love be your downfall. Elizabeth, you are simply too powerful. You possess the powers of an  Allfather , and while discarding one  Allfather  is easy, I hadn't planned on two."

"Discarding?" Elizabeth asked, trying to prolong his monologue.

"Yes, discarding. You are right to fear me, servant. However, you will not fear me for long. Soon, Achievement City will be nothing but  mine, and your precious kings will be in the ground - permanently."

Elizabeth turned to see if Ray had come to visit her, but at this moment, Percival took the time to grab her by the hair and cover her mouth with his hand. He pulled her deeper into the forest, where a small wooden chair sat waiting for her. Elizabeth struggled against Percival, but the lanky man was strong under his small frame.  She summon ed  tuffs of fire from her hands, hoping to scald Percival or the chair as he strapped and gagged her, but the chair glowed with magic.

Bound and gagged before  Elizabeth was Charles and two other servants that she recognized from the castle. The servants all writhed in their binds, but the rope held tight. From the light of a single torch, Percival's dark and mysterious features stood out, menacingly. He admired his work as he turned and spoke. 

"Thank you for generously offering your lives to your mighty kings," he began. "Your task is simple." From a burlap sack at his feet, he pulled out a small collection of tilled wheat and threw them to the laps of each servant. The force behind each throw knocked the breath from the servants. "You'll be hidden somewhere in the forest with this collection of wheat. The king need only find you and obtain the wheat."

Charles spat out his gag. "If the task is as simple as that, why must we be bound and gagged?"

There was a murmur of agreement among the servants.

Percival laughed - a horrible guttural laugh that came from the most minacious range of his voice. He approached Charles, forcefully shoving the cloth back into his mouth. "Because when they slay you, you are not meant to fight back." And w ith a snap of the threat's finger, Elizabeth found herself alone in the dark woods.

The kings had gathered amongst the people, chatting and awaiting instruction, when Percival emerged from the forest. "I come with my next challenge," he said, dumping the empty burlap sack to the dirt. "It seems that some  of your servants have been less than honest with you, my lords. I found a group of them stealing from the wares not long ago."

The  Allfather  looked confused, but also disgusted. "Which servants have you seen? Stealing, especially from the kings, is a high form of treason and punishable by death."

"Seek them!" Percival shouted, now drawing the attention of the crowd. "They are hidden among the woods! Retrieve the wheat and slaughter the pest for their great dishonor towards the kingdom."

"Slaughter servants?" Michael questioned. "Percival, wouldn't you say that may be quite aggressive? It is only wheat."

Percival shook his head with disdain. "It seems you've grown soft King Michael. A High King would never allow his subjects to steal without punishment. Is that not true, my friend?"

Percival turned to Gavin, who nervously chewed his thumbnail.  The king's eyes were filled with concern, but his weakness wavered quickly. "Percival is right. Those who steal from the kings should be punished, and while the task seems inhumane, they will have to face trial eventually."

The four kings were silent as they weighed the High King's decision, and finally, Geoff broke the silence. "We must find Elizabeth to set up her mind's connection."

"Oh, but sire," Percival interrupted, attempting to hide his grin, "I'm afraid to inform you that Elizabeth was one of the accomplices in the theft. She fled with the others."

"Elizabeth?" Geoff exclaimed in shock. "A thief?"

"Why on Land would she steal?" Ray defended, pointing a finger at Percival,  "when she need only ask."

The challenger held his hands up in submission. "I only report what I saw, not the reasons of the action."

"That's insanity," Michael chimed. "Elizabeth would never do such a thing, nor allow anyone else to do so."

"Do you see her here?" Percival asked, gesturing out towards the crowd. As the kings looked, so did the crowd, but of course, Elizabeth was nowhere in sight. "My High King, she is always at your side, but where is she now?"

Again, Gavin bit down  on his thumbnail, his eyes shifting among the crowd in search of familiar brown hair and dented chest plate. When he felt he searched too long, the king sighed. "If Elizabeth is involved with thievery, then she will be treated as such." Among the crowd, there was a collective gasp.

"Surely, you jest," Ray huffed.  The silence he received from the king boiled his blood and as he saw Percival comfort Gavin, he threw his gauntlets to the ground indignantly. "Never have I been so disgusted in your choices, Gavin! To have your own friend killed with no fair trial because your new acquaintance believe it is sport is now at the top of the list of grievances I have against you."  The kings watched him as he angrily attached his sword to his belt as well as a few arrows. He slung a bow across his shoulder, his movements quick and justified.  


Gavin seemed taken aback. He stammered for words, embarrassment creeping to his cheeks as he remembered his citizens looking upon him.

As Ray stormed away, no armor to cover himself, Geoff's voice called out to him. 

"Where are you going?!"

"To find Elizabeth!" he called back. "Before one of you murders her."


	8. Bloody Sacrifice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ray asks a lot of rhetorical questions about Percival's true motives as he searches for Elizabeth in the forest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: Bloody Sacrifice - Dragon's Den (from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack)  
> I do not own the music, however, I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

Bloody Sacrifice

Ray’s blood grew hotter with each step he took, a red film tinting his eyes with rage. The Red King was never stricken with this much hatred or anger before. In his absolute deepest understanding of himself, he knew he was not upset with Gavin. No, he could never be upset with his friend and trusted adviser. He was upset with Percival, the man who had given the High King the illusion that their honor needed to be defended. Gavin’s choices were not his own, no; they were the unhealthy product of a sense of failure.

Ray clenched and unclenched his fists repetitively. His rapid breathing was distracting, as he hadn't broken his lengthy stride since leaving the crowd of confused kings. However, his breath wasn't as distracting as the strange feeling of a pair of eyes against him or the ominous rustling of tree branches near him. The feeling of being watched slowly dissipated, but it was quickly filled with the sense of danger. In the distance, the king heard the loud howl of a wolf, and more closely, he heard the clanking of bones against each other.

He heard an arrow fly past his head, the air tickling his ear. He turned, sheathing his sword and readying his bow. He dove behind a tree for cover as he notched an arrow and aimed towards the skeleton. His white bones seemed to gleam and glow in the low light, but Ray had no time to react to its dark sense of beauty, as he heard a second arrow wedge loudly into the bark of his cover tree. The arrow left his fingertips with a single careful breath, and the skeleton drew back from the blow. It was stunned, which gave Ray enough time to slip away unseen.

This wouldn't be the only trouble that he faced through the night. Nighttime in Achievement City was a dangerous place that was filled with a never ending spawn of monsters. The sole way to rid the camp from monsters was light, something Ray had forgotten to grab during his dramatic leave from the others. He could still hear them in his head as they tried to entertain themselves with idle chatter, but none addressed Ray. It had been a half hour of silence, when Michael claimed he had found the first thief.

“I've retrieved my wares,” Michael said, his tone seemingly remorseful. “I’ll return to camp now.”

Percival’s playful tone rang through Ray’s ears. “Be quite frank with the family, my friend,” he jested.

Michael was silent.

If those around him were so against the idea of killing these servants without fair trial, why were they taking forth with arms to slaughter them? Ray pondered the effect that Percival had on each king. Obviously, Gavin was his clear friend from his homeland, but what of the others? He may have promised Jack power, the sole knight of Achievement City, or Ryan the ultimate title. He taunted Geoff with his inability to make harsh decisions with servants, and he belittled Michael authority and strength. Ray had nothing to gain from him, though, which proved to be his advantage in this warlike attack on the Kings of Achievement City.

Ray stopped in his tracks as he heard a muffled rustle east of him. In the distance, he saw a bright glow, however, the torch seemed farther than he anticipated.

“I’ve found the next one,” Geoff spoke. “It’s not Elizabeth.”

A tightness formed in Ray’s chest. Was it foolish to seek Elizabeth? The challenge was to kill her, and if he failed to do so, would he be disqualified from the Games? The Red King knew nothing of what he would say to the young servant when he found her. He would probably ask for her testimony, as to not seem bias by his affection towards her, and when he received the truth from her end…

Then what?

_Run away_ , Ray thought to himself. _Leave Achievement City._

He approached the glow of fire cautiously, creeping from tree to tree.

But how could he think so selfishly? With the nature of the competition the “Mighty” kings would undoubtedly fail, and Percival would be left to lead Achievement City and her people. Disorder and destruction would ensue; thousands would die.

_Regroup with Elizabeth, and devise a plan to overthrow Percival_ , Ray compromised.

He pulled his sword from his scabbard, readying it for a downward strike over his head. He jumped from behind his final tree into a small open clearing to see that the light was not from a torch. Sitting on a chair, strapped and gagged, was Elizabeth, fire brimming from her hands to ward off monsters. Ray’s head drooped to his side, the handle of his sword now pressed against the top of his head.

“Elizabeth?” he questioned.

She spat the gag from her mouth. “Oh, don’t look so surprised.”

He eyed the wheat in her lap. “But you couldn’t have…”

“Could not have what, my lord?” Elizabeth’s eyes looked watered, perhaps because Ray now pointed the tip of his diamond sword at her face.

“Tell me the truth, Elizabeth, did you or did you not steal that?” Ray motioned to the wheat in her lap.

“Why would I steal?” she retorted incredulously.

Ray felt the unmistakable feeling of being watched again, the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. “Did you do it or not?”

Elizabeth’s mouth fell open as he placed the sword’s blade just below her chin. A tear fell from her cheek as she fully understood Percival’s words. _Therefore, I will let your love be your downfall._

It may have been Percival’s plan to off the kings one by one, in which the tasks that he was forming would make sense. Jack had never become king, but Ryan had won his second title from Michael after being the last alive in a pit full of zombies. Ray had won his title from Ryan after being the first person to find and obtain tilled wheat.

Elizabeth looked down in her lap at the wheat. If she convinced Ray that she hadn't stolen it, what would happen? Would he refuse to kill her? Would he make an attempt to save her instead of complete his task? She could sense the dark challenger in the shadows, watching Ray for his decision. Either way that the king chose, Elizabeth would be disabled: either dead, or consumed with grief at the death of the one she loved.

She made the quick decision to spare Ray his life. “Yes, I stole it,” Elizabeth said with a sob. She eyed the sword that now rested just above her chest piece. “I am so sorry, my lord.”

“Why?” he asked.

Elizabeth could not think of a reason as to why she would steal the wheat, so she remained silent.

“Elizabeth, tell me why!” he yelled, and when she did not answer again, Ray threw his sword to the ground with a shout. He gripped Elizabeth’s shoulders tightly, his tone dropping down to an intense whisper. “Why are you lying to me?”

She couldn't help but cry out as she saw Percival creep from the shadows, behind Ray. Percival’s features blended together in the low light from Elizabeth’s hands. She saw him from her side vision, but kept her eyes on Ray as to not alarm him.

“I’m not lying, my lord. I swear to you, please just kill me.”

Percival edged back into the shadows as Ray fell from a crouch to his hindquarters. He reached out for his sword, gripping the handle in his strong hands. Elizabeth closed her eyes, bracing for death, but instead she felt fingers caress the binds she had, and they slowly unraveled.

“Ray, no,” Elizabeth said breathlessly, “what have you done?”

“We need to run away, Elizabeth,” Ray explained. “Percival is becoming more unstable, and we need to find a way to stop him, protect Achievement City.”

The cackle from behind him made Ray jump and ready his sword into the darkness. Percival emerged once more, but now he held his golden sword in hand, pointed toward Ray.

“I knew he wouldn’t be able to kill you, Elizabeth!” Percival taunted. “And now, it is your fault alone that your beloved king will die.”

Ray wrapped an arm back around Elizabeth, putting himself between her and the evil.

“I’ll give you one final chance, Red King. Kill the servant, or I will be forced to take your life.” Percival’s golden sword glimmered in the light of the fire, the blood of animals stained upon it, and the proverbial blood of the kings as well.

“I would rather die,” Ray seethed.

With a laugh, Percival spoke before he attacked. “Then die you shall.”

When the two collided, Elizabeth felt a hand push her to the other side of the clearing, and soon after she felt branches from a nearby tree lift her and hug her to the bark. Percival was quick and light on his feet, and in the darkness, he had the advantage. He slipped into the darkness, which made Ray turn on the ball of his foot searching for him. They collided again, Percival trying from an upward angle. Ray met his strike, then kneed his unprotected gut just below his chest plate. Percival was dazed, but only just, and he retreated back into the darkness to recuperate.

Elizabeth struggled against the hug of the tree, but to no avail. Ray was still turning to be aware of where Percival would pop from next, and as he was distracted, she used the fire burning in her fingertips to singe the branches that held her. She pushed hard on the bark with her foot to break free, now trying to avoid the blazing forest fire she had just started. The fire disappeared from her hands, now no longer needed, just when Percival jumped over her from the tree where she was once held.

He stood between Elizabeth and Ray, which unsettled Ray enough to attack Percival first. Though his back was turned, Percival anticipated Ray’s movements and parried his blow. His parry knocked Ray off guard, allowing Percival to take advantage of Ray’s poor stance by kicking the inside of his kneecap and forcing him to the ground. Back to the ground, Ray managed to defend himself once more as Percival tried to make the final strike, but Ray’s arms were growing weak, and Percival noticed.

Elizabeth summoned fire again and positioned it towards the killer, but Ray cut her off. “Elizabeth, no! Do not help!”

She dropped the fire, just as Ray’s hold gave out on his sword. His weak grip allowed Percival to disarm him, and now the sword was just above Ray’s chest. Elizabeth screamed as she saw the sword stab through the king and Percival, whose eyes were mad with intensity, twisted the sword inside his gut. Ray’s cries were sickening to Elizabeth as her lungs deflated, making her dizzy. With a squelch, Percival pulled the sword from Ray, new crimson added to its color.

Elizabeth stared at Ray and then back at his diamond sword that lay behind Percival. She teleported to it, making use of her magic, catching him off guard. She couldn’t contain the yell in her throat as she charged towards him, the diamond sword poised behind her. Percival parried her attack and kicked her to the ground, his strength overwhelming despite her adrenaline.

“Elizabeth, no,” Ray groaned.

Elizabeth struggled against Percival as he crouched down to straddle her. He placed the edge of Ray’s diamond sword against her throat. She could feel the sting of it rubbing against her neck as she tried to pull from his grasp. She turned to look to Ray in her final moments to see that he was outstretched towards her. He gasped for air as he reached for her hand.

“What is more torturous to you, Allfather?” Percival sneered. “Death or bearing witness to the destruction of love and caring?” He spat the last two words in disgust, like he knew not the meaning of either. “How can I destroy your soul, render you useless to your mighty kings?”

Elizabeth only looked to Ray whose hand was still reaching close towards her. She cried out as she felt the sword brush against her throat. She reached for his hand and took it. Despite being his final moments, his hands never felt so warm or strong in hers. Blood spilled from his mouth as he struggled to speak. Elizabeth’s eyes knew only tears at that time. “Elizabeth…”

She blinked the tears away, trying to clearly see him before he slipped away. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. The magical glint behind his eyes was slowly fading, and around her, the trees started to grow old and leafless.

“The roses…” he murmured.

Percival stood, but Elizabeth still lay near the Red King. She watched from the corner of her eye as Percival readied his golden sword above Ray’s heart, however she did not stop him. He wanted her seemingly broken, but Elizabeth had promised. She promised she would love him in memory, and Ray’s final breaths were imminent. She clenched his hand tightly, and he smiled. “What I would give to tell you I lov –”

Percival thrust the sword through Ray’s heart, and with the chopped sentence, Ray drove a wedge through hers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finally got Microsoft Word back so no more of this "online" crud. Anyways, the next chapter might be a little short, since I want to also get it out the same day as this. College does not allow a lot of time for writing unfortunately. ;-;


	9. A Plea to King Michael

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the death of the Red King, Elizabeth attempts to find another means to exploit Percival's scheme.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack: A Plea to King Michael - The Cove (from the How to Train Your Dragon soundtrack)  
> I do not own this music, however, I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter!

A Plea to King Michael

It was ever so insulting to Elizabeth that Percival carried both their bodies back to the camp. Waiting for them were the remaining kings who gasped aloud when they saw the Red King floating dead behind Percival and a wounded Elizabeth in his arms, the unsung hero of the night who brought back the two young lovers, and the kings’ beloved servant.

“It seems I misunderstood our young Elizabeth’s intentions,” Percival said, lowering both bodies to the ground. “I arrived just before he struck you down, did I not?” For added leverage, the challenger grabbed the servant’s wrist tightly in his hand.

Elizabeth winced, but agreed. “The King would have killed me had it not been for Percival.” She hoped her tone sounded unconvincing.

“Then, my dear, do explain your actions,” King Geoff urged, moving forward to check her neck. He assumed the cuts from Ray’s blade, and if he looked close enough, he would find that the markings were from a diamond’s edge, but not at the hand of the dead king.

Elizabeth explained what Percival had convinced her to lie as they walked onward back towards the camp. She explained that as she was setting up her bed roll that she witnessed a few servants attempting to steal, and when Percival caught her, she was hoping to stop them not join them. When the kings asked about the Red King, Elizabeth simply bowed her head.

She wished that she could mention to them what had truly happened in the forest. Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to see Percival’s true destruction, but the moment was not right. There were many variables to consider that this moment that would make any attack to regain control ill-fated.

“As Percival explained my unjust capture,” Elizabeth continued, “an Enderman appeared from the darkness and struck him down.”

The crowd gasped at the servant’s story, and some even wept into their partners. The people loved the Red King, for though King Michael was the Righteous, the Red King was the kindest and the most lovely: two of the qualities Elizabeth found the most endearing.

Elizabeth looked to Gavin who was staring at the ground when learning the nature of King Ray’s death. Again, he was nervously chewing his fingernail, but now his eyes watered. “We must lay him to rest then,” Gavin murmured, placing a hand upon Elizabeth’s shoulder. “To the King’s Village, my dear.”

With the kind help of the Allfather, Elizabeth and Geoff teleported the group, including the large crowd, to the King’s Village. They quickly prepared a platform to lay his body, and when King Geoff walked forward to lift King Ray’s body to his burial site, Elizabeth stopped him. With her own power, she lifted him to the bed, which lay atop firewood, ready to be burned.

She leaned forward as to whisper words to his gone mind. “My life is not worth the unjustness of your death, and neither is the enslavement of Achievement City. I fear your ghost will haunt me forever should I not act quickly against this horrible man. However, if things do not go as planned, I do look forward to seeing you in the afterlife.” She leaned forward and kissed his lips for the first and last time. “Farewell.”

King Geoff lit the fire, as Elizabeth could not bear to do it.

King Michael sauntered around the courtyard for some time after putting King Ray's body to rest, long after the crowd had disappeared and housed themselves in the many rooms of Geoff’s monolith. He stared at the Red King's humble cottage, silent, as Elizabeth observed him from afar.

His brown bear skin was blood-stained at the shoulder and his round, hard face was scarred with red cuts from tree limbs and the crude nails of monsters. The rising sun caught the gleam of the Righteous King's diamond armor as it rose behind King Ray's home.

"Your Majesty," Elizabeth regarded.

Michael had known of her presence for some time, and as he looked at the empty stillness of Ray's home, he sighed. "Elizabeth."

"I've come with a message," she said. Her voice shook. "A message that is a worthy risk, Your Majesty."

Michael turned on his foot. "What is a message that worries you so?" He walked towards his friend, gently rubbing her shoulders. "You shake, therefore you must be frightened."

Elizabeth took a steadying breath. "It is of the Sir Percival. He is a cruel and evil man."

The king disregarded the woman with light laughter. "Elizabeth, you have gone through quite the ordeal." He paused, his smile quickly fading. "We all have. But because we are hurt does not justify wild accusations."

Elizabeth opened her mouth to speak, but he swiftly silenced her.

"While Percival is a man with unconventional means to solving the king's dispute, he does not require a title of evil. Why even the Mad King would have claimed him wise at one point, and that he will when Percival joins us in the King's Village, where he will compete with us forevermore."

"But, Sire..."

"Elizabeth, someone whom you love deeply has just been murdered unjustly, but you did the right thing for him. If you had helped him, greater shame than death would have overcome him. However, you will not be without him for long, young one. Soon the Games will be over, and balance will fall over Achievement City once more."

"Your Majesty, the Red King was murdered but there was nary an Enderman in sight," Elizabeth blurted. "I lied."

Michael scrunched his forehead as he listened. "But why would you have any reason to do so?"

"I was threatened," she explained, "by Percival. He was with me in the forest when King Ray found me, but not to inform him of my innocence. He was ready to watch Ray kill me as planned, but when he refused, Percival challenged him. As he struck sword through the Red King's heart, he made me swear to announce a just killing, or he would ruin Achievement City as I know it."

Michael shifted uneasily on his feet, applying the necessary doubt he needed when taking serious words from a servant. "How do I believe the word of a servant?"

Elizabeth stood, hand on hip. "Believe the word of someone with higher social standing than one's own. Never have I once doubted the authority of a king, and never have I once used my birthright to overpower the word of a man, but now, I say unto you: I speak the truth, King Michael. I come to you with good faith that you, the Righteous King, will help Achievement City in her time of need, as a citizen and divine ruler."

Michael studied the servant, and in that moment he no longer saw her tattered tunic below dented iron chest plate, nor the cuts and scrapes or grime, but a glorious and strong woman with the marks of warrior: a worthy descendant of an Allfather.

"We must warn the High King," Michael said urgently. He quickly snatched Elizabeth's hand, and she prepared to run but stopped suddenly. Standing before them was a tall and slender man whose face was glowing in the bright sunlight that had blossomed. His skull robe blew menacingly in the wind as he pulled his sword from his scabbard with a chuckle.

"I warned you, Allfather," he murmured. "Now, Achievement City will pay."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is nigh! Tell your friends!


	10. The Deadly Rage of Mogar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival continues his fight to climb the thone of Achievement City.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack:  
> The Deadly Rage of Mogar - Toothless Found from the How to Train Your Dragon 2 soundtrack.  
> I don't own the music; however I did listen to it as I wrote this chapter.

Chapter Ten: The Deadly Rage of Mogar

            Michael’s sword was quickly in hand, the blue diamond catching the light of the rising sun as it arched above his head to deliver a strong blow. Percival parried, put the King’s strength was far too much for the young man to handle. With a defiant yell, Michael had knocked Percival to his back. He panted heavily, the sword’s pointed tip under his chin.

            “Have my friends suffered enough at your hand, you swine?” Michael seethed. His fists were balled; the knuckles around the leather hilt were white. Percival cowered beneath Michael, his pants turning into desperate gasps – no, laughter.

            “You have not suffered enough,” Percival chuckled, “for you are not dead in the ground.”

            Percival launched himself to Michael's arm, catching him off guard. The King pushed him away, only to land him nearer to his sword, which he equipped quickly.

            “Elizabeth, get Gavin!” the King yelled as he collided once more with Percival. With each blow, Elizabeth could see the growing rage in the eyes of her dear friend. Soon, not even talents as cunning as Percival’s would be able to outpace Michael.

            To make use of her magic, Elizabeth teleported as close as she could to the High King without raising the attention of the armed guards. They stood menacingly before the door that led to King Geoff’s secure room. She approached with haste, but the guards halted her before she could enter.

            “I must speak with the High King,” Elizabeth begged. “It’s a matter of life or death.”

            The guards let her through with reservations, but her false politeness faded when she stepped through to find the kings Geoff and Gavin sharing mead and breakfast. The two of them looked wasted away – dark circles rung their eyes and fatigue sagged their shoulders down. Neither spoke to the other; they simply stared forward, eyes unblinking and mouths silent.

            “My lords, there is an emergency,” Elizabeth said urgently.

            From their trance they woke and turned to the young servant, but their eyes were still glazed over from the grief and hardships that had been before them. Elizabeth bit a worrying bug inside her that looked at the state of her mighty kings and doubted their chance against this man. Michael’s strengths were more than enough to take Percival down, and seeing the injustice, Gavin would recall the ban on respawns and the Games would return to their normal play.

            Without the help of a lying and cheating scoundrel.

            The plan was sound in Elizabeth’s mind. They would win.

            She took to Gavin first. “Your Majesty, you must come to the courtyard.”

            His tone was dry, and his breath smelled of alcohol. “What ever do you mean, my dear?”

            She tugged against his arm. “My lord, Michael, he is in trouble.”

            Geoff frowned. “What are you saying, Elizabeth?”

            “Percival,” she explained. “He’s turned against us. He fights Michael in the courtyard as we speak! You must assist, my lords.”

            Gavin’s drunken slurs broke through. “Percival? But why would he do such a thing?”

            Elizabeth turned to Geoff to attempt to spark the hope that was fading in her heart. “Percival is evil, my lord. He has come to steal the title from the Kings and remove you from court here in Achievement City, by killing you. He has no means to bring you back!”

            Geoff’s eyes darted back and forth as he processed what the young woman said. He pulled up from his seat, the glassy mark of grief wiped away with adrenaline. “We must protect the kingdom!”

            King Geoff moved quickly, acquiring his sword and moving forward to tell the guards of the treachery. As he moved forward to the courtyard, Elizabeth struggled to get the drunken fool to understand her notion.

            “Elizabeth, Percival is my friend,” he said as she hurriedly strapped a diamond chest plate to protect him. “He would never hurt anyone I loved, especially not my fellow kings.”

            Elizabeth knelt to tie the straps on his boots, which were also the shining light blue of diamond. “Your Majesty, he attacked King Michael and I, he murdered the Red King in cold blood. I witnessed it.” She attached his sword to diamond pants – a full suit of diamond armor to protect him in battle. “But we must hurry, I fear for Michael’s life.”

            The severity of the situation started to process in Gavin’s mind. “Michael…is in danger?”

            “Percival may have been your friend, but now, he is attacking Achievement City. You must protect us, Gavin. You are our King. We follow you into battle.”

            The glassiness over Gavin’s eyes was starting to wash away. “Playing king is only a game for I am but a fool, Elizabeth. You are a much worthy king than I, the descendant of an Allfather, and I? Nothing but a lowly fool.”

            “Gavin, you are a strong man, and you have made unwise decisions,” Elizabeth soothed, “but now you must fix them, for a true and just king will always take account for his mistakes.”

            He took her hand, and when she teleported to the city’s seal, the world had been thrown to chaos. Michael still fought against Percival, and surrounding his body was a red glow – the mark of true rage. Percival’s blows were weakening, and the end seemed near for Percival, but each time, he managed to save himself. However, Michael’s body was also showing signs of fatigue. His blows, though strong, were not strong enough to parry away Percival’s blows and until the other could pull away, they stood at a standstill. Geoff was deftly fighting nearby guards who seemed to be under an illusion, seeing the king as an enemy. Another step to Percival’s plan. The skies were tainted red and fires destroyed houses just outside the village. The world was thrown to hell.

            Michael and Percival’s swords stayed locked as they looked angrily into each other’s eyes. “How dare you brainwash my friend!” Michael yelled. “You attack our city right beneath our watch, and you expect to come away with the world?”

            “That is exactly what will happen, _king_ ,” Percival sneered. Percival looked down to see a chink in Michael’s arm, small enough for a quick jab to the ribs.

            The new sense of pain knocked the Righteous King from their collision, and he stood dazed for only seconds. Percival drew back his sword with as much power he could muster and stabbed the point through the same chink he had found. Michael felt the sword run him through, the metal cold, but burning his insides. He cried out in pain, the sheer force of the yell making his head spin. Percival tugged his grip up, and Geoff sickeningly saw the point of Percival’s golden sword slice through the armor the man wore, and soon the point was yanked from him, leaving a bleeding, gaping hole in his stomach.

            “Michael, no!” Gavin screamed.

            Elizabeth stood petrified as she felt Gavin’s hand leave hers. He ran, stumbling against his new heavy armor, holding his sword to keep from falling off his trousers. When Gavin reached the bloodied man, he pulled his head over to examine him. “Michael…” Gavin cooed. “No…” The fool had come too late, for the Righteous King had already taken his last breath.

            “Are you next, Allfather?” Percival yelled. His voice was strangled and deranged, the mental degradation finally taking toll to his mind. His eyes were wild, as he pulled adrenaline from the blood on his sword. “An Allfather cannot refuse a direct challenge!” Elizabeth could not bear to listen to the sheer maniacal tone of his voice. It curdled her blood as he screamed.

            “Percival,” Geoff warned. “Let us help you. You are making a mistake!”

            “No!” he defied. “I challenge you, King Geoff, creator of all! The Allfather to all of Achievement City and her people!”

            Geoff bowed his head in distress.

            “And your only living relative,” Percival seethed. “I challenge you, Elizabeth, a battle that you may not refuse. For you are an Allfather as well as _a loose end_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end is nigh! Tell you friends. Also, if you'd like to get updates on when a new chapter might be uploaded, or if your curious about how all the music fits in (because I'm a dweeb) or if you wanna know different things about certain characters like Percival, follow me on Tumblr. The Mighty Kings tag is "just in case anyone cares". Once everything is put together, I'll be posting more stuff about the characters, music, and story.  
> shrewbuddysings.tumblr.com!


	11. The Allfathers' Fight to the Finish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The final two remaining Allfather's attempt to break Percival's killing streak.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack:  
> The Allfathers' Fight to the Finish - Hiccup Confronts Drago from the How to Train Your Dragon 2 soundtrack.  
> Percival's Betrayal - Stoick Saves Hiccup from the How to Train Your Dragon 2 soundtrack.  
> I do not own the music; however, I did listen to it while I wrote the chapter.

Chapter Eleven: The Allfathers’ Fight to the Finish

            The battle was immediate and quick to start. Once the challenge had been made, Geoff lifted his sunken head and teleported in front of the challenger and engaged. Ths met with deafening clanks of metal on metal, and sparks even flew off at some collisions. Elizabeth teleported to Michael’s heavy diamond sword, only to feel a hard hand grab her wrist.

            Gavin still cradled Michael’s lifeless body in his arms, tears of pain streaming down his face. The grime from the hot molten air around them stuck to his face. “You cannot fight him; you will lose,” he cried.

            Elizabeth pulled her arm from him. “I do not have a choice. It is the way of my ancestors, and I must follow this code.” With sword in hand, she marched away, and Gavin could not help but feel responsible for her future demise. He looked down at Michael’s still face, and remembered all the times that Michael had stood up for him in times of distress. He would venture as far as saying that Michael was the only true friend that Gavin had ever made.

            And now he was dead because of a foolish mistake that he could have prevented.

            The day that Percival had come through the doors was a blur to Gavin, but he still remembered the sense of home that he felt as the challenger entered the room. His dark hair and sooty clothes reminded him of his family, the ones he had so sadly left behind. He looked at Percival and saw himself and what he could never be again: a homely boy, wishing for a better life. For Gavin had it all, ever since the day that Geoff had adopted him and made him his own.

            Gavin pulled the spectacles from Michael face and placed them in the pocket over his heart, just below his armor. “I will not let you die in vain, my friend. You will come back. I will make sure of it.”

            Elizabeth was having a hard time keeping up with Percival’s quickness. The reddish tint of the fires and destruction had blocked the sunlight from view, and now there were shadows where Percival easily jumped in and out. It seemed that just as Elizabeth was about to strike, he would dive into another shadow. Geoff followed by in a close second to Elizabeth’s strikes. Already getting exhausted from fighting the guards before, Geoff’s teleports were weak and sluggish. His lack of stable sleep was also weighing down on him, and every strike he made at Percival was deflected with ease.

            “You fight well, Elizabeth,” Percival teased. “I just may fear for myself.”

            He followed with a maniacal laugh that sent shivers down Elizabeth’s spine. She attempted to keep her focus, but his laugh unsettled her, and he managed to slice her arm. She cried out and fell, not accustom to any pain, and Geoff advanced forward.

            “You grow weak, Allfather!” Percival taunted. “When will you concede?”

            Geoff groaned and wiped the sweat from his brow. “Never. I will fight you to the death.”

            Percival chuckled. “Yes, you shall.”

            Elizabeth pulled herself up, ignoring the intense pain she felt in her arm. Something inside her was churning the fight, no doubt the Allfather blood inside her sensing a challenger. Until she was dead or the victor, she would fight. It was not a choice.

            Her teleport landed her right behind Percival, and she managed to knock him on the head with the hilt of her sword. The blow dazed him, but not enough to slow him. He turned and kicked her square in the ribs. The sheer force of the blow threw her into the dirt house she knew all too well. To her right, she saw the dying rose bush beside Ray’s properly made bed.

            The dim light was blocked when a body stepped through the gaping hole she had made. Percival taunted her before pushing his sword slowly through her stomach. She screamed, high-pitched and deafening, and it was heard across the land. Geoff lay, nearing unconsciousness, the fight inside him slowly starting to die away. Percival prided himself in his plan. The two Allfathers together were a fight, but alone, they were but an old man and a little girl.

            Elizabeth believed she would die from the pain, but she stayed much alive as he knelt down. “Your mighty kings cannot save you now. You will die.”

            “Gavin will stop you,” Elizabeth cried. “Gavin will destroy you and the kings will rule again.”

            Percival laughed – a shrill crazy noise that echoed through the emptying courtyard. He pulled the sword from Elizabeth’s stomach and slit her throat through. He grabbed her head, which was nearly taken clean off, and whispered in her ear, “Gavin would never hurt me. You have lost.”

            Percival’s hands were stained with blood as he walked through the Red King’s house and approached the last of the Allfather race. Geoff struggled to free himself from his weakened prison, but he couldn’t find any strength. He backed away in fear, his eyes wavering as he looked to Gavin. The Allfather raised his sword, but he was so weak, he was immediately disarmed.

            “You have no use for the crown, old man,” Percival said.

            “No,” Gavin murmured.

            “Allow me to relieve you of your burdens.”

            “Percival, no!” Gavin felt the emptiness in his heart as quickly as he heard Geoff’s stop beating. Shaking, he pulled himself up, feeling his heart twist inside of him. His tears dissolved against his red hot face, the Overland starting to feel much like the Nether. “Why would you do this?” He nearly shouted.

            “You don’t understand, my lord,” Percival explained approaching Gavin, his hands still stained with Elizabeth’s blood. He touched Gavin’s face as a sign of friendship. “I did this for us! For _our_ kingdom!” Gavin pulled away in disgust, but Percival did not notice. “The Land of the Nether will no longer be neglected now that you and I will rule, indefinitely!”

            Gavin’s heart broke in two, as Percival unraveled his plan to him. “I thought you were my friend.” Gavin hesitated. He thought of Geoff, the man he regarded as a father, and Michael, his best – _only_ – friend. Elizabeth and Ray never shared a kiss until he was dead, and Jack never had the right to be accepted by his family. This was all his fault.

            The severe guilt weighted Gavin down to his knees as he approached Geoff’s lifeless body. The dark red wound poured no blood; there was no beating heart to carry it. As he took Geoff’s hand, he felt his skin still warm. This was his fault.

            How many things would have been different if he had disregarded the challenger’s request? It was not a game of “honor”, no. It was a game for himself – to prove his worth. He was worthy of the throne, and he could make good and rational decisions from a man who smelled like home.

            “My lord, I did not lie,” Percival said, putting his hand on the King’s shoulder. “You are my greatest inspiration, and now, we will rule side by side, as one.”

            “No, Percival,” Gavin sniffed. “You are wrong.”

            He stammered. “My lord?”

            “You are wrong, Percival. You misjudged me, for I am neither lord nor king. I am a fool, and now, I am a fool with nothing to lose. You’ve destroyed my family, my friends, my kingdom…”

            “I do not understand, my lord.”

            Gavin stood and turned to stare at Percival, who was kneeling before him. “You are deranged, Percival. I was wrong to believe that you were a good man. I gave you the benefit of a doubt, and you betrayed me!” Blood boiled and hot tears formed in the back of Gavin’s eyes. “I will never let you take Achievement City from me, and if you want to try, you will pull it from my cold dead hands.”

            “Gavin, I would never harm you,” Percival whispered. “You would never harm me.” The man’s dark eyes were pointed to the sky, looking at his once true idol. He no longer saw the young boy from the Nether like him, but a man from the Overland, with light hair and light eyes. Suddenly, Percival was disgusted.

            “I did this for us, Gavin,” Percival said coldly.

            Gavin simply pulled his sword from his scabbard and took to the sky, preparing for battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my favorite chapter. 
> 
> Again, the end is nigh. One more official chapter and then a bonus scene that should both be put up tomorrow. Thank you for reading! If you wanna get the bonus material about the music and other story line insiders the place to go is: shrewbuddysings.tumblr.com tagged "just in case anyone cares".


	12. The Fool's Attempt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The High King attempts to stop Percival's delusions of ruling the Overworld.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtrack:  
> The Fool's Attempt - Two New Alphas (0:00 - 2:40) (from the How to Train Your Dragon 2 Soundtrack)  
> Rise, King Percival - Two New Alphas (2:41 - 3:52) (from the How to Train Your Dragon 2 Soundtrack)  
> I don't own the music; however, I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

            Percival drifted up to his friend. Gavin’s face was worn by grief, his eyes were sullen. The sword in his limp hand looked less than sturdy, and the crushing guilt in his chest keeping his hand from holding the hilt with intent.

            “My friend, please,” Percival begged. “I have no reason to harm my friend.”

            Gavin blinked away tears, the crushing weight in his chest getting more and more uncomfortable. He stared down at his diamond chest plate, salty droplets falling from his eyes to the hard, sculpted ore.

            “I am not your friend,” Gavin said vindictively.

            Around him, his skin prickled, a glowing blue radiating from below his chest plate. Gavin felt revitalized, his anger becoming a dangerous motive. His voice boomed through the land, causing fights to pause and stare at the man.

            “Impossible,” Percival awed.

            “We are both wrong, Percival. I am neither your friend nor a king! And oh, I am much great than a fool with nothing to lose… I am a god!” Gavin felt the power in his blood and the painful desire to fight that Elizabeth and Geoff felt before their demise. “For you see, an heir will inherit an Allfather’s powers if the bloodline no longer exists. And I am that heir, Percival, and while you threaten me and my land, I will fight to the death to protect it.”

            Percival stared at the man, hatred slowly blooming again into his expression. “You are one of them now, Gavin! You will oppress us further if you continue your reign! They have taken you away from your roots…”

            “And what will you do about that, Percival?” Gavin murmured.

            Percival let out a mighty cry as he flew toward the new Allfather, the golden sword glistening in the red light of the fires. It did not take much for Gavin to lift his arm and parry the blow, and Percival was thrown against the wall of Geoff’s monolith. The Challenger crumpled on the roof of the Mad King’s house, and Gavin drifted toward him, nonchalant.

            Percival’s movements were all in rage. As he launched for the High King once more, Gavin swiftly moved from his path, his diamond sword slicing upward and catching Percival’s arm in the process. He howled in pain as he retreated farther from the fight – farther from Gavin.

            “How could you have hurt me like this?!” Percival yelled. His rage curdled his voice, and he sounded strained. The winds seemed to break apart his voice even more, and as it reached Gavin’s ears, it seemed fragmented like the voice of a man crushed by betrayal.

            “Percival, had I known your intentions before, I would have stopped you posthaste! I have done nothing but perform my duty to my city! You are a threat, not a savior!”

            “I am just protecting my own kind! You have lived here in the Kings’ Village for far too long! I have seen horror and destruction in the Nether! I have heard whispers of the Mage’s great return, but whispers will not bring action. I would not wait for my equality, while you _kings_ play your petty games!”

            “Percival, the Mage is a man of evil, and if you fight in his name, you do not fight for a good cause! I have sent a party to find the Mage and extract the knowledge which we seek from him, and in the wake of their return, they will not find this kingdom in ruins! Not while I am still alive!”

            “How could you speak of our King in such a way?!” The shrillness of his voice pierced through the skies in such a way that the clouds parted. “The Mage is a man of honor and knowledge! He taught me everything that I know!”

            “And he has taught your wrong, Percival, for the teachings of the Mage are those of mindless evil and revenge. He seeks revenge on Achievement City for what Geoff and the Allfather race did to him in the past. He does not seek equality!” Gavin was pleading now. Percival was not evil; no, he was only delusional.

            He charged Gavin again, but the high from gaining his powers now starting to wean. Gavin lifted his sword slightly too late, but the cold sword could not scratch his diamond chest plate. The tip of the sword grazed the mineral, and Gavin used this small confusion to his advantage. He took the butt of his sword and slammed it into the back of Percival’s skull.

            From their height, when Percival hit the ground, he should have been dead, but he was far too talented to let that happen. He woke from his slight unconscious state and rolled before hitting the ground. Beside him lay a dead man, an arrow protruding from his green leather armor. Percival grabbed this arrow, now in search of a bow while Gavin preached from above.

            “Let us help you, Percival,” Gavin said. “We only seek to help those in Achievement City who need us! The Nether is in the process of being saved as we speak, for I have much faith in the people I have sent. The Mage is the one oppressing you, for we have been trying to free you all for so long…”

            Gavin thought of his family, still elsewhere in the Nether while he lived his kingly life.

            “I understand your pain. My family still lives under this monster, but…”

            Percival had found the bow and had notched the arrow. His aim was set to run straight through Gavin’s throat. “You’re a liar! If you will not be my partner, then I will rule the Overworld alone! And together, the Mage and I will rule this land!”

            He let go of the arrow and it soared.

            _Forgive me, Geoff, for the end of our reign is in my hands. But the end of your race is not._

            The arrow sliced through Gavin’s throat, and the king died in the skies.

            Shocked screams came from below as the High King’s body fell from the sky; retches sounded as it hit the ground, the head completely severed from the impact. Percival walked forward towards his dead comrade, limp in his left leg from his fall. Around him were sobs from the people of Achievement City whose kings were all dead in the ground.

            Percival knelt at Gavin’s head, the eyes still opened to see Percival remove the crown from his head and bestow it upon the dark hair of the Challenger.

            “I only ask for your cooperation,” Percival said to the crowd. “And an introduction.”

            There was not a sound in the Overland for moments as the citizens of Achievement City absorbed the destruction of their home, the death of their kings, and the fall of a monarch. Minutes passed, and Percival stood, patient and brooding.

            Before him, a Royal Guard knelt. “The High King and his subjects have fallen… Rise, King Percival, High King of Achievement City and all her land. May you rule with kindness and good heart…”

            Half-heartedly, the crowd began to chant. “Long live the king. Long live the king.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is the last official chapter! Big thank you for everyone who read The Mighty Kings! EVEN BIGGER THANK YOU to Mallus on Tumblr whose art inspired me to write this! You're all great and lovely people. There will be an epilogue (but if that's not you're thing, then you'll be fine without it) that will be posted later on in the day today probably. I'm sorry for taking such a long break with this!
> 
> If you follow me on Tumblr, you might have seen something about The Mighty Kings turning into a trilogy, and that's true! To distract myself from my NaNo project, I seem to have come up with the delusion that a certain fly group of people should be introduced. Don't know who this Mage guy is? Don't worry, you will.
> 
> The Mighty Princes, coming to an AO3 near you soon.
> 
> (Yes, I know that's a dumbass name. What more do you want from me.)


	13. Epilogue: Burying the Fool

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Percival buries Gavin, what more do you want me to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soundtack:  
> Burying the Fool - Stoick's Ship (from the How to Train Your Dragon 2 Soundtrack)  
> I do not own the music; however, I did listen to it as I wrote the chapter.

            His new subjects worked around him, gathering the dead and placing them in piles to burn just behind the now empty monolith once dedicated to Allfather. Percival stared up at the large castle, feeling sound in his placement. Now he was the ruler. No more would there be childish games and competition for the crown between familiars. No, there would only be direct challenges now. No one would cheat death again, for no one alive had the power to give back life.

            The Allfather race was dead, so he thought.

            Percival stared down at the marred body of his former friend. Gavin’s head had rolled when he picked up the crown, and despite the settlement of betrayal in his heart, Percival’s strong sense of brotherhood blossomed and his breath became a hard lump in his throat. He knelt, caressing the cheek of the young man and running a hand over his open eyes.

            The light eyes were no longer lively or filled with mischief; they were simply dead.

            Percival wanted to see that no longer.

            Not far from the head was the folded body of the boy, his green, checkered cape that had flown behind him in the skies was now tainted with blood, and droplets of blood were gathered on diamond armor. Still clutched in Gavin’s hand was the beautiful sword that Percival had once admired. He took it from the dead man’s hand, feeling that the warmth had yet to leave Gavin’s body.

            Percival held back a sob as he lifted the dead king, the crownless head now in the body’s lap, and carried him to the center of the seal. Leftover wood was still there from the burning of the Red King, and as Percival laid Gavin’s body on the broken wood, he let his sob shake through himself. He gripped either side of the wooden plank and summoned fire from his hands. The board quickly lit, and he pulled away.

            “You say you were a god,” he murmured as he watched the flames lick the flesh. He wiped away his tears angrily. “But you died a fool… We could have been the greatest rulers this land has seen.”

            If only Percival knew who waited for him below to approach and challenge.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> COMING SOON TO THE KING AU:
> 
> The Mighty Princes
> 
> Running concurrent with The Mighty Kings narrative, The Mighty Princes follows Kdin, Matt, and Jeremy as they venture to prove their worth to participate in the Royal Games. To do this, they must travel deep inside the Nether to retrieve the final piece of knowledge from the Mage while discovering their true kingly powers.


End file.
